The first Comet 4B, B.E.A.'s G-APMA, flew on 27th June 1959
Air transport was much smoother and quieter with the introduction into service of jet airliners such as this BEA de Havilland Comet 4B, G-APMA. Furthermore, they cruised above much of the rough weather that made sick bags commonplace on piston engine airliners and cut transatlantic travel time in half.

Development of the A3XX will probably cost around $10 billion and there are grave difficulties for Airbus in raising that sort of money. However, if successful, it would be a coup for Airbus which would wrest the lead in large airliners from Boeing.

Boeing is pinning its hopes for filling the market niche set by the Asian requirement on the Boeing 777, whilst Airbus is promoting the A3XX capable of carrying up to 650 passengers. Singapore Airlines took delivery of its first Boeing 777-200 in May 1966, but more recently, the airline opted for the Airbus A340-500 for the Singapore-Los Angeles route, typical of the long city-pair combinations that airlines are now driving from manufacturers.

Compared with the passenger market which is predicted to have a somewhat turbulent future, the air freight market is set to stabilise at a healthy and more predictable level. Approximately 41% of air freight is carried by small narrow body types, led by the Boeing 727 such as this one (N144FE) in service with FedEx.

"China Airlines". После отмены первой сделки в июле 1980 года "China Airlines" заключила новый контракт на покупку пяти A300B4-220 с двигателями Pratt & Whitney. Позднее был выдан опцион на дополнительные самолеты. Эксплуатация первого A300 началась 1 августа 1982 года на линии Тайпей-Манила-Тайпей. С сентября 1989 по декабрь 1992 годов "China Airlines" приобрела шесть новых A300B4-622R, позднее добавив к ним еще восемь. Два лайнера были потеряны в катастрофах в 1994 и 1998 годах, а полностью эксплуатацию машин этого типа авиакомпания завершила в конце 2008 года.
Even though the airline industry has been fairly stable over the past few years, predicting the future is no easy matter. There are several apparently conflicting interests and requirements, with many unknowns. One of the few clear facts is that the operating profit for a medium size airliner, such as an A300, are greater than those for an aircraft the size of a 747. It is more economical to put on extra aircraft than operate large aircraft under capacity. That said, there is patently a need for an larger aircraft than the 747s currently in service. This A300-600R in service with China Airlines seats 266 passengers in a standard first and economy layout

Last of the Douglas piston-engined transports, the DC-7 enabled scheduled non-stop, long-range commercial operations across the United States and transatlantic services in both directions. However, it suffered through being over developed from a 1930s design, particularly in terms of reliability and like other propliners, was less comfortable than the jet airliners entering service in the late 1950s.